Hydraulic chain mover



June 25, 1963 s. DROMBOSKI HYDRAULIC CHAIN MOVER Filed Aug. 17, 1961 3 Sheet s-Shee INVENTOR.

ATFORNEF June 25, 1963 s. DROMBOSKI HYDRAULIC CHAIN MOVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1961 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY June 25, 1963 v Filed Aug. 17,. 1961 S. DROMBOSKI HYDRAULIC CHAIN MOVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

5% MM a m United States Patent 3,095,181 HYDRAULIC CHAIN MOVER Stephen Dromboski, 4 Mine St, Flemington, NJ. Filed Aug. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 132,206 Claims. (Cl. 254-105) This invention relates to a hydraulically operated chain pulling and hoisting machine.

The present machine may be used in a great variety of circumstances where either a hoisting or .a horizontal pulling operation is necessary, as in manufacturing, constructional and repair operations necessitating moving heavy bodies or objects horizontally or at an angle thereto.

In the drawings, the machine is illustrated as used for horizontal pulling, but the same functional parts may be used for hoisting, either on an inclined plane or vertically.

The drawings illustrate the invention, and in these:

FIGURE 1 is a plan View of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a side view;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view on broken line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5, omitting the chain;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a section on line 88 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a rear end view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description, the numeral 15 indicates a horizontal oblong frame which is the base. This base is provided with wheels 16 to facilitate the forward movement of the machine as a load is pulled forward. The base comprises side members 17 and cross front and rear end members 18 and 19 respectively and also intermediate cross member 21. A vertical frame is secured to the base, and is in the form of an inverted U and comprises a medial cross piece 26, uprights 27, a crossing top member 28, and supporting, flat, spaced vertical members 29 between uprights 27. Gussets 30 and inclined braces 31 support frame 25.

A square plate 33 is adapted to slide up and down on the front faces of the supporting verticals 29, being frictionally held thereon by blocks 34 passing therebetween.

Attached to, and projecting forwardly from, block 33, are a pair of horizontally spaced cylinders 35 having pistons 36 which are connected by a yoke or crosshead 37. The latter (FIGS. 7 and 11) has a circular aperture 38 transversely and centrally therethrough, to allow the passage of a chain 40 therethrough.

Integral with, and extending forwardly from, the yoke 37, is a tubular member 42 (FIG. 10) which has a crossed opening 41 (FIG. 7) therethrough to allow the passage of the chain links. A pair of complementary upper and lower gates 43 and 44, which may be termed the front gates (FIGS. 6 and 10) are respectively pivoted to the member 42 at 45 and 46 (FIGS. 5 and 10), to open forwardly only. These gates are spring-loaded, each being tensionally held closed by a pair of coiled springs 48 and 49 respectively (FIGS. 4 and 5), one coil on each side of each gate. The gates are complementarily formed on their rear faces to conform arcuately to the vertical chain links when they pass through the gates. To allow the horizontal links to pass, the inner ends of the gates are spaced apart vertically sufiicient for that purpose, as in FIG. 10. The forward faces of the gates, at the inner ends thereof, are convexly formed so that a link 52, just in front of the gates, may be seated therein.

Extending forwardly from the square plate 33, and secured thereto between the cylinders 35, there is a chain passageway .and gates similar to those described as projecting forwardly from yoke 37, shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8. FIG. 9, being a rear view of FIG. 5, shows the square plate 33 as having a circular opening 55, and through this opening, the cross opening is visible, which latter opening leads to rear gates 43A and 44A which correspond to front gates 43 and 44 respectively, and which are tensioned by pairs of coiled springs 48A and 49A corresponding to springs 48 and 49 for the front gates. A hydraulic pump 58 (FIG. 2) is provided to force forward the pistons 36, yoke 37, and front gates 43 and 44, pressure for such motion being transmitted through tube 60.

In operating the machine, with the rear end of the machine against a stop 62 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), the chain 49 is passed through the rear and front gates, which open forwardly for the passage, and is attached to the load 65, until a link in the vertical plane, as link 52 of FIG. 10, is seated against the front of gates 43 and 44. Operation of the pump then forces the front gates forward, pulling the load. The front end of the chain is then held and the pump reversed to retract the pistons, the yoke 37 and forwardly attached parts sliding back on the chain, with the rear gates exerting a holding action on the chain to prevent any possible back slippage of the load, after which the pressure from the pump forces the pistons and the load forward again. For the purpose of claiming the invention, the machine is assumed to be in the position shown in the drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine of the character described, comprising a base, a vertical frame rising from the base, a horizontal structure secured to and extending forwardly from the frame and vertically adjustable thereon, said structure comprising a pair of spaced, parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder adapted to move forwardly and to be retracted, a yoke joining the forward ends of the pistons, hydraulic means for extending and retracting the pistons, a first tube secured to and extending forwardly from the middle of the yoke, a spring-loaded gate hinged to effectively close the forward end of said first tube and adapted to open forwardly only, said tube having a pair of grooves on its inner surface at right angles to each other to act as a chain guide, a second tube as part of said structure and positioned behind and in spaced alignment relative to the first tube and having on its inner surface a pair of grooves at right angles to each other to act as a chain guide, a spring-loaded gate hinged to effectively close the forward end of said second tube and adapted to open forwardly only, a single chain passing through said tubes to be attached to a load, said chain comprising links adjacent ones of which are at right angles to each other and guided by said grooves in said tubes whereby the gate of said first tube holds the chain when said pistons are extended and the gate of said second tube holds the chain when the pistons are retracted.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder adapted to move forwardly and to be retracted, a yoke joining the forward ends of the pistons, hydraulic means for extending and retracting the pistons, a first tube secured to and extending forwardly from the middle of the yoke, a self-closing gate hinged to effectively close the forward end of said first tube and adapted to open forwardly only, said tube having a pair of grooves on its inner surface at right angles to each other to act as a chain guide, a second tube positioned behind and in spaced alignment relative to the first tube and having on its inner surface a pair of grooves at right angles to each other to act as a chain guide, a self-closing gate hinged to effectively close the forward end of said second tube and adapted to open forwardly only, a single chain passing through said tubes to be attached to a load, said chain comprising links adjacent ones of which are at right angles 3 to each other and guided by said grooves in said tubes, whereby the gate of said first tube holds the chain when said pistons are extended and the gate of said second tube holds the chain when the pistons are retracted.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising a pair of spaced, parallel cylinders, a piston in each cylinder adapted tomove forwardly and to be retracted, a yoke joining the forward ends of the pistons, hydraulic means for extending and retracting the pistons, -a first tube secured to and extending forwardly from the middle of the yoke, a self-closing gate'hinged to efiectively close the forward end of said first tube and adapted to open forwardly only, a second tube positioned behind and in Spaced alignment relative to the first tube, a self-closing gate hinged to efiectively close the forward end of said second tube andadapted to open forwardly only, a single chain passing through said tubes to be attached to a load, said chain comprising links adjacent ones of which are at right angles to each other, whereby the gate of said first 4 tube holds the chain when said pistons are extended and the gate of said second tube holds the chain when the pistons are retracted.

4. The combination specified in claim 2 in which each of said gates is in two parts, the adjacent edges of which are spaced to allow the passage of links in one plane when closed but to prevent the passage of links in the plane at right angles thereto when closed.

5. The combination specified in claim 3 in which each of said gates is in two parts, theadjacent edges of which we spaced to allow the passage of links in one plane when closed but toprevent the passage of links in the plane at right angles thereto when closed.

Elsner Mar. 7, 1961 Welborn Aug; 15, 1961 

3. A MACHINE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED, PARALLEL CYLINDERS, A PISTON IN EACH CYLINDER ADAPTED TO MOVE FORWARDLY AND TO BE RETRACTED, A YOKE JOINING THE FORWARD ENDS OF THE PISTON, HYDRAULIC MEANS FOR EXTENDING AND RETRACTING THE PISTONS, A FIRST TUBE SECURED TO AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE YOKE, A SELF-CLOSING GATE HINGED TO EFFECTIVELY CLOSE THE FORWARD END OF SAID FIRST TUBE AND ADAPTED TO OPEN FORWARDLY ONLY, A SECOND TUBE POSITIONED BEHIND AND IN SPACED ALIGNMENT RELATIVE TO THE FIRST TUBE, A SELF-CLOSING GATE HINGED TO EFFECTIVELY CLOSE THE FORWARD END OF SAID SECOND TUBE AND ADAPTED TO OPEN FORWARDLY ONLY, A SINGLE CHAIN PASSING THROUGH SAID TUBES TO BE ATTACHED TO A LOAD, SAID CHAIN COMPRISING LINKS ADJACENT ONES OF WHICH ARE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER, WHEREBY THE GATE OF SAID FIRST TUBE HOLDS THE CHAIN WHEN SAID PISTONS ARE EXTENDED AND THE GATE OF SAID SECOND TUBE HOLDS THE CHAIN WHEN THE PISTONS ARE RETRACTED. 